Animal Kingdom Lodge-Tell Me Everything

[Alpha Jeanie]

Just wondering what you like best or don't like about Animal Kingdom Lodge. We love the Wilderness Lodge but are just wondering what we are missing out on at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Which one would you pick? How is the transportation from Animal Kingdom to all the parks? Do you like the restaurants? Which is better for kids 5 & 11 years?

Thanks for any info.

[rnin02]

We stayed there last year. Loved it! We ate dinner at Boma and Jiko and they were awesome. Its hard to remember details...but we are planning to go back to Boma for sure...Jiko we don't feel that we have to go back again. But it was nice to try once. I would love to stay there again! It was such a neat experience, to see all the animals, try to find the best viewing spots (we found an outdoor staircase that had a great view of a bunch of giraffes), the pool area is beautiful as well. The busses were okay, they only thing bad part is the bus stops are at the bottom of a hill...which is fine when you are going to them, but kinda tiring when you want to get back to your room. I don't have kids...but I think I would have liked AKL as a kid, I would have loved to see all the animals. And I know they have a lot of activities although we didn't find time to do all of them.

[auntfrannie]

We stayed there two years ago. The savannah view from the room was incredible! We had no problem with transportation at all; never more than a 5 minute wait for a bus. The Mara fast serve food court had a great selection, definitely more than the typical burgers & nuggets.

The only negative for us was the housekeeping. The room wasn't made up until late in the day and the turndown service we requested was hit-or-miss.

[Goofeygal]

We loved AKL. The only negative for us was the transportation. It is a ways away from the parks so it takes awile to get to them. It also seemed we waited along time at the lodge for the buses to come.

[dixielandings]

This is DH's favorite so far of all the places we've stayed. The atmosphere and theme are unbeatable. We had a savannah view and never were lacking animals to gawk at. It was a little bit of a hike to the busses but we didn't mind. The shop is one of the best Resort shop.

We love Boma, particularly for breakfast. It's best to stay here if you can plan some sitting-around time - by the pool, on your balcony, in the Lobby, etc.

[DakotaDisney]

I loved it! :mickey:

For a lot of the same reasons mentioned.

Boma is great and even the food court is decent. I didn't have the chance to eat at Jiko.

The animals are great. I had a Savanah view room (definitely worth it, if you are going to stay at AKL why get a room looking at the pool or parking lot?)
There is a lot of great detail all over the resort. And there are lots of things that you could do just right in the resort.

I know some people here and in other posts have commented negatively about the transportation, but I never had any problems. AKL had it's own buses and for most places, so not other stops. I think it only took us maybe 10-15 minutes tops.
I think any resort is going to be closer to some things and farther from others. But I also liked being a little farther away from all the hustle and bustle. It added to the feeling of entering another land at AKL.

[Momof2boys]

We'll be staying at AKL with our boys (9 & 7) this October. Our concern was also about the time to the parks but when we've stayed at WL or Poly, we've always had to stop at other resorts to pick up/drop off guests so in our estimation, it wasn't that much longer. Plus we'll be staying for 11 days and wanted to try a new resort where there was plenty to explore. We enjoy relaxing around the pool and looking around the grounds. Our sons school has a sister school in Kenya so they are excited about the African culture themeing as well.

[Donald A]

Out of all the deluxe resorts I have stayed at AKL has been my favorite in terms of the resort itself. Of course this was for my honeymoon so I think they gave us a nice room. The detail is great. The resort is very new. In fact, it is the newest non-DVC deluxe resort. I enjoy the whole character of the place.

BUT.............

I do not like the transportation. I feel like I am out there away from everything and if I don't want to drive (I am on vacation) I have to take the buses. Now Disney transportation isn't bad, but there is something about getting on a ferry or even walking in to EPCOT that I enjoy.

[tinks_pixie_dust]

We have stayed at both resorts & prefer the WL. The WL went above & beyond for everything! For us, the AKL lacked in hospitality & the transportaion did not meet our expectations at all but other than those things, the resort was beautiful & there was tons to do. We did a "kitchen" tour that was so awesome (my husband's a chef) & exploring the animals was incredible. The decor was beautiful too. So for me it comes down to this, I think if I had my own car I would consider staying there again but not if I had to use the buses. Good Luck!

[IC10]

We stayed and loved it ,loved it, loved it!! We noticed that we were the only resort that had our own bus anywhere so it was a direct drop off. The food was amazing, the animals breathtaking and it felt like we were away from all the hassle of everyday life. You can stay at a wilderness lodge anywhere in the USA but how many African safaris do you see?

[LandFan]

You can stay at a wilderness lodge anywhere in the USA but how many African safaris do you see?

I totally agree! It's like having two great vacations in one! We stayed there in '03 for a week and ended up with a free upgrade to a Savannah room. We saw giraffes eating outside our window every morning and evening. I have more up-close giraffe pictures than I could have ever taken in Africa! Boma is the best and The Mara has a great African stew in a bread bowl. The place is just amazing. I feel like I am home everytime I go there - even if it is just for dinner at BOMA. Oh, they have a nice gift shop too.

[Disney Maniac]

I very recently stayed at the AKL and loved it alot. I liked the food court, it think it is alot bigger than the one at the WL. Also the pool at AKL is very neat. It is a zero-depth entry so smaller children can stay in the big pool without any worries. Also they have a bigger slide at the AKL, it is very long but has a few twists and turns. I think the gift shop at AKL is the same as the one at the WL.Everyone says the bus transportation is bad at the AKL, but the rides were very short and enjoyable. This is a example of how long the bus rides are, AK:5min, MK: 15min, MGM: 15min, and Epcot: 15min. That is a example of the ride times, some may be longer or shorter depending on the time you leave or go to the parks. The only negative part of the bus services are the music played on the bus. I don't know about you're family but mine hated the loud music. But it depends on the bus driver if they put the music really loud. But otherwise the bus service is perfect. But the best thing about the AKL is the animals. We got a magical upgrade to a Savannah View Room and loved it very much. Every morning we would rush outside to see if any animals were there and we usually got a great sight. But there are many places to view the animals other than your room, so you don't really need a Savannah View Room. I think your kids will love the AKL if the like animals. If they don't enjoy animals and like learning about them this resort isn't the best place. But if they do there are many things to do at the AKL. There are also many daily activites they can do. Such as, animal tracking, cookie decorating, flamingo feeding, and many poolside activites. The activites were very neat and fun for the kids. If they finish all the activites they will have made a african bracelet with beads on it from a reward from activites. I think the AKL is very neat resort and I hope that you choose it a your'e resort. Good Luck!!!

[navylady]

It is a little cheaper to stay at Wilderness Lodge and that is why we are staying there this time. We are doing an adult only trip with the free dining plan and are doing a lot of nice dinners at the resorts near MK also. I have stayed at both....and you can't go wrong with either. But since you have stayed at WL, try AKL. My boys absolutely loved it. There was so much to do and the views are so relaxing. I loved waking up early in the morning and seeing the animals while drinking my coffee. The kids had so much fun doing the activities offereed and we liked the food options. It was nice to have some additional choices besides the usual burgers and nuggets(which they also have). We stayed in early August and even though it was crowded, we had no problem with transportation at alll. The ride to MK was a little longer, but not far.
I have no complaints but if I had to pick one, it would be the distance from the room to the bus stop. We were at the furthest end, but our room had such a great view it was worth it. Plus I needed to burn the extra calories from all of the junk I ate....

[princessimagineer]

breakfast at boma = mucho yum. thats all i havta say

[iceicebritney]

we too were big fans of the wilderness lodge hotel... my mom had to even go so far as to create a replica room in her guest room of her house. hehe - there are worse obsessions ppl could have!

anyway, i love the pool at wilderness for kids cause it has a good slide. the animal kingdom slide isn't bad... but we prefer the WL one better. also the pool at animal kingdom lodge is extremelly warm compared to the other pools on property (i think they do this on purpose to make u think ur in africa) and when ur there in the summer months, june/july/aug its quite unbareable... the only upside at AKL is that the hot tubs in the winter are great, and they are much more secluded than at WL. my fiance and i prefer the secluded hot tubs rather than the open ones where kids can just keep running in and out non stop.

the restaurants at AKL are my favorite. jiko has an excellent wine selection and the option to sit right by the kitchen is really great for first timers. as for boma... its just plain great! the marinades on their meats are amaizing! and breakfast is a must do every trip for us. Boma and Cape May Cafe at Beach Club are the only two buffets we enjoy (ohana isn't considered a buffet for us) and we've eaten at them all many times... these two are really great.

if your getting a room at AKL you dont want to request a lobby room (we always do this at WL because we like being close to the hidden fireplaces and the noise from the lobby). at AKL you want a room in one of the wings - none of the views are any better than any other i promise. we've had concerige and we've had regular also and its all been the same. you can see zebras, giraffs and the rest all over. be sure to grab nite vision goggles to check things out at night in the glass walkways on the way to your room... best way to view both sides!

both are great resorts... and the transportation really is terrible at both honestly - any of the deluxe resorts are terrible on transportation. long wait times and not enough buses. but thats something you sacrifice to stay at these resorts. if transportation is something thats important to you, rent a car or stay at one of the value resorts because they are the only ones that disney transportation caiters to.